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Family safaris at Easter

Happy Easter! Yes, we know that Halloween has barely past, and Christmas is not yet upon us. But at Africa Exclusive we like to look forward positively to the spring, and know that by planning ahead we not only have something exciting to look forward to during these cold, dark winter months, but we also can guarantee getting the reservations at Africa’s most desirable safari lodges and camps. If you want to have an unforgettable experience with your family during the Easter holidays, now is the time to book.

One of our favourite family trips for Easter is to the Impodimo Game Lodge on the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. It’s a great spot for your children’s first safari because it’s a quiet, well run reserve with all of the Big 5, but also opportunities to spot African wild dog, cheetah, hyaena, and plenty of species of birds. There are game drives and bush walks, you can learn to track animals with an experienced local ranger, and the daily programme can be tailored for children of all ages to ensure the activities are educational and entertaining. Meals can be eaten out by the swimming pool, or on large, family-size tables in the open-sided dining room. Accommodation at Impodimo is in glass fronted chalets, which are both spacious and secure — hugely important if you have got little ones running around!

The Waterberg is a malaria free zone in South Africa, so it’s a great location for a family safari is you have very young children or babies. There are bush walks and game drives by day and by night, as well as horse riding safaris which will appeal in particular to teens. Younger visitors can opt instead for the bug and spoor walks, upturning rocks and making all kinds of creepy crawly discoveries! There are several family-sized suites at Ant’s Nest, a magnificent thatched lodge, and you can have up to three children in the room with you, or put them to sleep in a separate room connected by a private passage. The 15m pool is ideal for cooling down in during the heat of the day, and there’s a broad range of activities on offer to keep visitors of all ages entertained.

In Botswana, you’ll love Vumbura Plains in the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta. It’s a small tented camp where children aged eight and over are welcome to stay and join in with all the activities. Each room is raised up on a platform for optimal wildlife viewing, and there’s a designated family room where you can all stay together. You’ll have an en suite bathroom, bedroom, and lounge, and your own pool out on the verandah. The camp staff are happy to adapt meal times and menus to suit younger children, and activities on offer include not only walking and 4×4 safaris but also hot air balloon and boat excursions, canoeing through the waterways in traditional mokoro (dug-out canoes), and nature walks. The camp is accessible only by air, and the stunning flight is a highlight in its own right.

Last but not least, this Easter why not consider a family safari at Kaya Mawa on Likoma Island in Malawi? If your kids want to swim, kayak, snorkel, and play in the sand, but you can’t face the idea of a conventional beach resort vacation, come instead to Lake Malawi. Rated by Conde Nast as one of their Top 10 most romantic places in the world, it’s a stunning location, and tranquil. The Yofu chalet has been specially designed for families, partially hidden behind a mango tree on the beach. There are two bedrooms — to give mum and dad a bit of peace — plus a shared bathroom and deck, and the pristine waters here are shallow and safe. Kaya Mawa has two in-house instructors who can teach you to dive, and you can also kite surf, sail, kayak, and waterski. Mountain biking and hikes are available for those who prefer to keep their feet dry.

If you’d like to get away on a family safari at Easter, but aren’t sure where to go or what to do, call us today to speak to a destination specialist, and we’ll do our very best to inspire you.

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Why should you book with us?

One of the leading Africa travel specialists for over 25 years, our team has hundreds of years of combined travel experience.

Our specialists have a personal understanding of the destinations they are recommending for you.

You will have your travel planner and a dedicated co-ordinator ensure that you receive the best service from the moment you first contact us until you return from your holiday.

Our detailed planning and preparation will ensure that your holiday runs like clockwork.

Experience impeccable service throughout your holiday with the support of our dedicated and experienced partners on the ground.

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Luxury safari pricing guide

We aim to provide you with your ideal holiday, individually designed just for you and expertly organised. When you book with us you receive this perfectly designed holiday, travel advice and preparation, flawless organisation of the trip, ATOL financial protection and our 25 years’ experience. Because we have excellent confidential rates with lodges and airlines, the price of your holiday will be generally the same as you would pay were you to somehow book all the lodges, transfers and flights yourself.

There is a world of difference between one of our tailormade safaris and most package holidays printed in a brochure. Package holidays are usually designed to be as cheap as possible and of course involve large numbers of people doing the same thing. Our safaris use small, more exclusive and remote camps usually with guests flying in, and often virtually everything is included in the price. The experience is completely different.

Many of these small lodges and camps have broadly similar prices, and it is possible to arrange a superb safari holiday for between £6,000 to £10,000 per person ($8,000 – $13,000) season dependant, all inclusive. Realistically it is difficult to reduce that figure, and by including Botswana in peak season, chartering a private plane, disappearing to some magical desert island, or flying at the front of the plane it’s easy to substantially increase that figure!